RIVM: Number of coronovirus infections is rising, no new wave yet

The number of people carrying the coronavirus is increasing. Last week, the number of positive tests increased by more than 14 percent. The National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) has no clear explanation for this. The institute believes it is too early to tell if this is the beginning of a new wave of Covid-19, preferring to wait for the coming weeks.

The RIVM registered 6,744 positive tests in the last seven days, compared to almost 5,900 a week earlier. It is the fastest increase in the number of confirmed infections since the beginning of October, exactly 11 weeks ago.

Just before Christmas, the number of positive tests was even higher. Then the weekly total reached almost 7,400, an increase of 26.5 percent on a weekly basis. Last Wednesday, RIVM received nearly 1,400 reports of positive tests in one day, the highest number since early November.

The numbers were based on people who have been tested at the official test locations of the GGDs. Self-tests at home were not included in this, so the actual number of infections could be higher.

Theoretically, it could be that many people got tested before their Christmas visits and that the increase was due to that. However, other evidence "suggests that the number of infections is actually increasing," according to the institute.

For example, the number of virus particles in sewers increased by about 50 percent last week, and also by 50 percent the week before. The number of particles measured roughly tripled in recent weeks.

The number of positive self-tests has also increased. On RIVM's Infection Radar platform, people could report when their home self-test indicated an infection, and that number has doubled in just a few weeks.

The number of hospitalizations has not yet increased. Last week, 327 people ended up in a nursing unit or intensive care unit because of their Covid-19 symptoms, compared to more than 400 in the weeks before.